Nevin's Data "Points"

  There’s something about a birthday that ends in zero that hits differently. And I have one of those this week. I’ve spent more than half my professional life thinking, writing, and talking about retirement — how people get there, how they prepare (or don’t), and what it all means when work finally loosens its grip. And yet, when you hit a milestone like this, “theory” gets very personal very fast. Truthfully, this isn’t what I thought “this” would feel like. Not dread. Not triumph. Just … different. Though lately, I’ve been thinking about it more than I expected. See, it’s not just another candle (you’d have to forewarn the local fire department). It’s a checkpoint. A round number that invites reflection whether you ask for it or not. Sure, it’s just another year. But it’s a whole other category of living. That said — and I’m happy to be able to say this — I don’t “feel” my age. [i]  Or what I thought it would be like to be this age. What I am starting to feel — though only ...

Are you confident about your retirement finances? Apparently, and despite responses that undermine a rational level of confidence, many are. Last week, the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Greenwald Research unveiled their 34th annual Retirement Confidence Survey (RCS) . Now, I’ve commented previously about the dubious conclusions one can draw from personal sentiment surveys, not to mention those personal assessments of wealth and needs. Those limitations notwithstanding, over the years, the Retirement Confidence Survey has helped uncover a number of interesting and intriguing perspectives about retirement, real and imagined―and no small number of what would appear to be unrealistic expectations about retirement: expectations around how long individuals think they will be able to work, for example, or that they will be able to work for pay after retirement. Additionally, there have been indications that more individuals expect to receive a pension than would be suggeste...